The Death of Christmas

The streets of my neighborhood are lined with trees. This morning, however, there is much more foliage than usually. The poplar and Chinese elm trees which are currently adding their red, orange, and gold autumn colors to the charm of the victorian buildings and the newly created Parisian-style boulevard (see comment) are now accompanied by myriad spruce, fir, pine, cedar, (and even a few plastic) evergreens which only yesterday adorned the living rooms of the surrounding homes.

It seems that people can't wait to get Christmas over with. I have to laugh (to myself) when I compare this current trend to that which was in vogue during my childhood on the East Coast where it was not unusual to have to remind someone, "Okay, it's February. It's time to take down the tree."

It's not news to anyone that Christmas has long lost it religious significance --(not to all but to many, if not most) -- and is mainly a commercial holiday. In fact it's the make-or-break period that many retailers depend upon for their fiscal survival.
 

The Sun God Mithra slaying a bull

25 December is not even Jesus' birthday. That particular date was chosen (by some accounts) to usurp the pagan celebration called Saturnalia which commemorated the birth of the sun god. The Romans called this celebration "Dies Natalis Solis Invicti" (Nativity of the Invincible Sun), commemorating the birth of the sun god Mithra. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Third Edition, 1998) in its article on "Christmas" details the history of the dating of Christmas. The article points out that the time of Christ's birth was a matter of speculation and even dispute in the early centuries of the Christian church. The celebration of Christ's birth on a specific day did not become a general practice until the 4th century. The earliest mention of 25 December is in a calendar representing Roman practice of the year 336, the date probably chosen to oppose the pagan feast of the sun.

Other traditions of the dating were present, including the Eastern tradition of connecting Christ's birth with Epiphany on 6 January (a practice still followed in the Eastern churches). Christians celebrated 25 March as the Feast of the Annunciation, a commemoration that continues today. Since 25 December falls exactly nine months after the Annunciation, it seemed the most natural day on which to celebrate Jesus' birth (although, as noted above, Eastern Christians follow a different tradition and opt for 6 January, twelve days later than their Western counterparts).

Annunciation: the announcement to the Virgin Mary by the angel Gabriel of the Incarnation

Incarnation: the Christian doctrine of the union of God and man in the person of Jesus Christ

There's much debate on the subject (among scholar and lay person alike). A simple google search turns up a litany of articles addressing both why 25 December is not the real date of Jesus' birth and how it became the date of celebration.

And now, with all of the attention on the literal "separation of church and state", Christmas has almost become a dirty word in so many circles. I truly believe that a persons beliefs are a personal thing and shouldn't be forced on anyone else, and in our "politically correct" society which currently embraces so many sects* other than just Christianity and Judaism, it's become increasingly important to confine one's religious beliefs to one's self ...or at least to one's religious group. Not everyone is a Christian. Not everyone is even a theist. And yet, [the celebration of] Christmas has been such an integral part of our culture. What will we ever do without it? -- *(Click for a "humorous" comparison of [some of] societies popular religions.)

Quote of the Week: "Believe those who are seeking the truth, but be wary of those who claim to have found it."